Dismiss an average Test side for 120, prepare your victory speech. Dismiss Australia for 120, hope for a first-innings lead.

On an extraordinary day yesterday, Muttiah Muralitharan became the fastest man to 500 Test wickets as Australia plummeted to its lowest total against Sri Lanka, inside two sessions. And yet, by stumps on the first day of this second Test, Ricky Ponting's squad had Sri Lanka in disarray at 7-92.

Michael Kasprowicz removed Sanath Jayasuriya (1), Avishka Gunawardene (13) and Marvan Atapattu (9) to begin Sri Lanka's capitulation. Jason Gillespie and Shane Warne then produced a series of body blows, the leggie dismissing Mahela Jayawardene (17) and Tillakaratne Dilshan (0) with successive deliveries, and late in the day dismissing the last recognised Sri Lankan batsman, Hashan Tillakaratne.

All of which seemed unfathomable earlier in the day as Sri Lanka required just three bowlers, 42.2 overs and 200 minutes to dismantle the Australian batting line-up on a lively wicket.

Again, Muralitharan played the defining role, following last week's 11-wicket haul with a masterful spell of 4-48 from 15 venomous overs while writing a new chapter in cricket's annals.

Only Matthew Hayden displayed any meaningful resistance against the Sri Lankans, compiling a well-crafted 54 before becoming Muralitharan's second victim of the innings. The mercurial off spinner then removed Gillespie and bowled Kasprowicz to claim his 500th Test wicket in 87 Tests, achieving the feat in 21 fewer matches than Warne and 42 fewer than West Indian Courtney Walsh.

In many ways, Australia's first innings mirrored its first effort with the bat here in 1999. Muralitharan, Nuwan Zoysa and Chaminda Vaas claimed all 10 Australian first-innings wickets in Kandy five years ago, rolling the visitors for 140. And the trio repeated that effort on the first morning of this match, restricting Australia to its lowest total in seven years and seizing an early advantage.

THE WICKET RACE

Courtney Walsh - 519 wickets at 24.44 in 132 Tests

Shane Warne - 504 wickets at 25.39 in 109 Tests

Muttiah Muralitharan - 500 wickets at 22.78 in 87 Tests

Kapil Dev - 434 wickets at 29.64 in 131 Tests

Richard Hadlee - 431 wickets at 22.29 in 86 Tests

Glenn McGrath - 430 wickets at 21.71 in 95 Tests

Zoysa (4-54) and Vaas (2-14) took full advantage of the heavy atmospheric conditions and well-grassed wicket after Ponting won the toss and elected to bat.

With the visitors' total on 25, Zoysa trapped Justin Langer (3) lbw for his first Test wicket in almost two years.

Ponting (10) and Martyn (1) were also dismissed leg-before, to Vaas and Muralitharan respectively, as Australia slumped to 3-50.

Ten runs later, Zoysa bowled a shuffling Darren Lehmann (8) behind his legs much as Muralitharan had done in the first Test, while Andrew Symonds (6) fell victim to a juggling catch by Tillakaratne.